Hayek's Unconventionalism

Abstract

Larticle est un essai qui propose de faire trois additions a la theorie evolutionniste hayekienne.La premiere pour eclairer lemergence des regles, sociales, zone dombre chez Hayek, en introduisant le concept despaces relationnels , embryons des espaces institutionnels.La seconde pour faire apparaitre le role de laction humaine dans levolution des regles sociales : des individus ou groupes dindividus jouent un role entrepreneurial et cherchent a changer des institutions qui ne conviennent pas a leurs exigences ethiques.La derniere pour reintroduire une reference a lordre naturel quHayek avait voulu eliminer, mais qui valide le processus hayekien a condition de retenir une approche subjective du droit naturel (comme lapproche thomiste) par opposition aux approches objectives courantes (sinspirant dAristote et de Puffendorf).This paper tries to add three elements to Hayeks theory of evolution.The first element sheds light on a moot point in Hayeks thought, the emergence of social rules. It does so by introducing the concept of relational spheres, deemed as incipient institutional spheres.The second element tries to make the role of human action conspicuous in the evolution of social rules: individuals or groups of individuals play an entrepreneurial role and seek to alter institutions which are no longer in harmony with their ethical moorings.The last element introduces a reference to natural order which Hayek discarded in his thought. This reference validates the Hayekian process as long as a subjective approach to natural law (as in the Thomistic approach) is retained in contrast to contemporary objective approaches (taking their heed from Aristotle and Puffendorf.)